*Podcasts Archives

National Spouses Day: A day to show appreciation for your spouse.

---

Trending on TikTok … People are sharing the foods they prefer to eat at temperatures they’re not typically eaten at. One woman’s video, in particular, showing her cold pizza preference, has people talking. Now, when we say cold, we don’t mean regular out-of-the-fridge cold. This woman eats FROZEN pizza without cooking it. “It’s weird, it’s disgusting […] and I love it,” she said. “Why waste time cooking it? It goes to the same place!” At least she knows it’s a strange habit. “Feel free to roast me in the comments,” she said. “I probably deserve it.”

---

Putting down the phone … In a recent Instagram post, actress Eva Mendez announced that she was taking a break from social media. Seems she made the decision after her daughter told her she was on her phone too much. Mendez said she wanted to focus on being present for her two daughters, Esmeralda, 6, and Amada, 4. (Best Life)

---

Are you obsessed with the Netflix show Bridgerton? Do you and your S.O.’s names also happen to be Simon and Daphne? If you’re planning a wedding before the premiere of Season 2 of the popular Netflix series, you’re in luck. Hotels.com just announced on Twitter that they would be having a Bridgerton-themed honeymoon sweepstakes. The first lucky couple named Simon and Daphne to get married before season 2 premieres — and can prove it on Twitter — will win a $15,000 honeymoon. If your wedding is coming up, this might be worth changing your names … and if you are already a couple named Simon and Daphne, wedding bells should seriously be in your near future! (Daily Motion)

---

Sex and the City made the Cosmopolitan martini famous … but according to Sara Jessica Parker, while she was starring as Carrie Bradshaw in the series, she wasn’t a fan of the cocktail … that is, until AFTER the show. She revealed on Grub Street Diary: “To be honest, I really do love a Cosmopolitan. I don’t know how to make them well, but I genuinely love them. Strangely enough, it didn’t happen until long after I stopped shooting the show and the movies,” she said. “I would be served them at restaurants, or people sent them over, and I was always very grateful. But I didn’t really drink the cocktail until after we finished the show. I went to some place and had an exquisite one and then it started.” (Delish)

---

Vaccines are sexy … According to a spokesperson for dating app OK Cupid, users who say they’ve gotten the vaccine are getting double the likes of those who say they don’t want to get the vaccine. “Basically, getting the vaccine is the hottest thing you could be doing on a dating app right now,” said OK Cupid’s Michael Kaye. (NY Times)

---

Why give a regular Valentine’s Day card when you can send a boozy one? Yep, you can now give your Valentine a card with a shot-size bottle of booze inside. The cards are sold by NIPYATA! There are several different Valentine’s Day cards to choose from, as well as five different liquor options: Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Casamigos Reposado Tequila, Grey Goose Vodka, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, and Johnnie Walker Black Scotch. The cards are $19.99 each. (Delish)

---

Are you focused on yourself during work video calls? You’re not alone. A YouGov poll found that 25% of people on Zoom calls are looking at themselves instead of their co-workers. Broken down by gender, 32% of women say they are focused on their faces rather than the faces of their colleagues during work video calls, while 19% of men admit to doing the same.

---

Speaking of work … Move your office … to the beach. Aruba is one of the Caribbean islands trying to attract remote workers, and the Boardwalk Boutique Hotel in Aruba is making things even more enticing by setting up outdoor workstations so you can have your toes in the sand during your workday. Where do we sign up? (Business Insider)

---

Speaking of sweet jobs … If you’re looking for a sweet side hustle, Canadian online candy retailer Candy Funhouse is hiring full-time and part-time remote “candyologists” to test and review the thousands of chocolates and candies the company carries. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not. And according to their job application, you’ll get paid $30 an hour to do it. Apply here by February 15th. (ABC-7 NY)

---

Can you guess the booziest city in the country? If you said Reno, you would be right. The Biggest Little City was number one on Men’s Health’s list of 100 Booziest Cities in the U.S. The editors analyzed a number of factors, from percentage of excessive drinking reports, to DUI-related fatalities, to percentage of underage drinking.

---

Speaking of booze … You might not be traveling right now … but you can get onboard with the American Airlines Wine Club. Yep, the airline is offering its in-flight wines to consumers, via a wine club. “Each year, a dedicated team of wine experts carefully reviews nearly 2,000 bottles to select those that will join the award-winning American Airlines wine program,” an AA statement says. “For the first time ever, travel and wine enthusiasts can enjoy these premium wines by having them delivered straight to their door with American’s new Flagship Cellars at-home wine experience.” You’ll get three bottles a month – that you can choose or have a sommelier choose for you – for $100. (Food & Wine)

---

This is a question for all of you working from home. Are you happy being at home – or are you missing the office? According to a new YouGov poll, home is where the heart – and home office – is. A whopping 80% of respondents said they enjoyed working from home, and 86% who are working from home who weren’t before the pandemic said they would like to keep working from home … at least some, or most, of the time. Only 5% of those surveyed said they want to be back in a physical workplace full-time after the pandemic.

---

Speaking of working from home … Apparently there is now a wristband that lets your boss know how you’re feeling. No joke. The bracelet, called a Moodbeam, is designed to allow remote workers to let their bosses know their emotional state. The wristband, which links to an app on your phone, has two buttons, one yellow and one blue. Apparently, you press the yellow one if you’re happy, and the blue one if you’re sad. Yeah, no … (BBC)

---

With online dating pretty much the norm these, there isn’t much talk of people being “set up” on blind dates anymore. But it still happens … and even at our highest levels of government. According to a 2020 survey by DatingAdvice.com, 43% of Americans said they’ve been on at least one blind date — and that includes President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris. (Insider)

National Hugging Day: A good day to hug it out … with someone in your pandemic pod, of course.

---

This is really cute … Apparently when Mindy Kaling‘s three-year-old daughter, Katherine, saw Kamala Harris being sworn in as Vice President, she asked, “Is that Mommy?” Kaling posted about the cute moment on Instagram, writing, “I was at work, but apparently she said: ‘Is that Mommy? It looks like Mommy.’ Best compliment I ever got! It matters. Happy Inauguration, everyone.” (Pop Sugar)

---

As they enter the White House, the Bidens are bringing along their two German Shepherds, Champ and Major. Not only do “first dogs” Champ and Major mark a return of pups to the White House, but they are entering the White House as stars in their own right, as subjects of a new children’s book called Champ and Major: First Dogs by Joy McCullough. In addition, Major has made history by becoming the first shelter dog in the White House. (People)

---

Super Bowl 55 is still more than two weeks away but is already making history. The teams haven’t been decided yet, but the officiating crew has been announced and it includes Sarah Thomas, the first female official in NFL history. On February 7th, she will become the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl. The NFL issued a statement saying, “Sarah Thomas has made history again as the first female Super Bowl official. Her elite performance and commitment to excellence has earned her the right to officiate the Super Bowl. Congratulations to Sarah on this well-deserved honor.” (NBC Sports)

---

Well, it turns out money actually does buy happiness … According to Matthew Killingsworth, a researcher from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, the more money you make, the happier you are. The reason? Having money gives you more freedom and more choices. “When you have more money, you have more choices about how to live your life,” says Killingsworth. “You can likely see this in the pandemic. People living paycheck to paycheck who lose their job might need to take the first available job to stay afloat, even if it’s one they dislike. People with a financial cushion can wait for one that’s a better fit. Across decisions big and small, having more money gives a person more choices and a greater sense of autonomy.”

---

For the first time ever, a vegan restaurant has been awarded the coveted Michelin Star rating. ONA, located near the Bordeaux region in France, doesn’t just avoid meat based foods in their cuisine. According to the New York Times they forego all animal products completely including leather and wool textiles in their seating and décor.

---

And speaking of Vegan … How do you feel about meat grown in a lab? With more people going vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian, and others cutting back on meat consumption due to health reasons or concerns about the treatment of animals, there’s a new choice – meat grown in a lab. Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, say they’ve developed a new form of lab-grown meat that tastes better and has a better texture than other types of “alternative meat.” According to the researchers, the meat can even be “tuned” to have whatever fat content or marbling you like. “We are creating slabs of meat,” said researcher Ravi Selvaganapathy. “Consumers will be able to buy meat with whatever percentage of fat they like — just like they do with milk.” He says, “It felt and tasted just like meat.” (EurekAlert)

---

Now you’ve got a good reason to turn off the camera during your video chats … According to a new study from MIT, Yale, and Purdue University, those video calls are bad for the environment. According to researchers, just one hour in a video conference or streaming shows in high-definition emits between 150 and 1,000 grams of carbon dioxide and requires two to 12 liters of water. However, leaving your camera off during calls will reduce your carbon footprint by 96%. And streaming in standard definition rather than HD could bring an 86% reduction, according to researchers.

---

Celebs are struggling with their weight during quarantine too. Singer Ciara, who is married to NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and recently gave birth to her third child during the pandemic, has joined Weight Watchers as an ambassador to help with her weight loss and fitness journey. Adapting for safety measures, Ciara says she exercises mostly at home with her children, husband, and pets. She also says that marking down her goals and celebrating with little wins are great ways to stay motivated. (USA Today)

---

Speaking of goals… TikTok is helping us take on the new year with the 3-6-9 method on how to manifest our goals. Here’s how it works: First, pick what it is that you want to manifest. In the morning, shortly after waking up, write down that manifestation three times. In the afternoon, write it down six more times. Finally, at night, write it down nine times. Seems frequency and repetition are important factors in manifestation practices — and can help turn your wishes into reality. (Yahoo)